Mineral-prospecting apparatus.



B. ANDREWS.

MINERAL PROSPEGTING APPARATUS.

APPLICATION FILED JAN.26. 1912.

Patented Aug. 26, 1913.

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Be itknown' that I, BENJAMIN Annnaws,

a citizen ofthe United States, in

the city of Houston, county of Harms, and

State of Texas, have invented or discovered certain newy f' and- Improvements in Mineral-Prospecting Apparatus, of which el following isA a clear and complete disclosurei l0 My L*invexitiorn' relates to yapparatus for articularly l prospectin for minerals, more` to a vpara us for drilling an sam es o'l'spliecimens of minerals. `uchf culty has heretofore been experienced inlobtaini uniform and reliable samples of'ores, whic are either so loosely heldtogetheror are'so friable as to break up into smalh'nely divided particles when acted onI by Va diamond drill or other drills now lused for drilling and sampling. This difticul is2 a vated when the formation from w "cht' e sample is to be taken isl one full ofy cavities or fissures permeated or filled by streams or bodies of water. When these conditionsexist, the tine particles are forced into the cavities or fissures and are washed away by the water; or, as is sometimes the case, the nely divided material held in suspension'by the water is brought into the ywell and mixes with the material loosened by the drill, so as to damage the obtaining sample. On account of, these difficulties the drilling and sampling arrangements heretofore used have not 'ven satisfactory results when used in such' ormations.

The object of my invention is to provide apparatus for obtaining accurate samples of ores from deposits of the kind above referred to. I accomplish this object by certain novel combinations and arrangements, one embodiment of which is shown in the drawing accompanying and forming a part of this specification.

-Inthis drawing, Figure 1 is a side eleva-Y tion, partly in section, of lapparatus embodying my improvements. Fig. 2 is a detail sectional view of the lower end of the double drill stern with the 4hollow corecutting bit ailixed thereto shown in Fig. 1. Fig. 3 is a detail sectional view of the uper end of the double drill stem shown in `lig. 1, showing the swivel for supporting the drill stem and the means for introducing compreed air.

- Referring in detail to the apparatus shown, the numeral 1 designates a derrick of STATES 'PATENT OFFICE.

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spemammmnment `Patented Angled-191s, Application flied January 20, 1912. Serial. No. $73,610. y' I drill stem 2 is lowered, supported `and-ina` mpulated. The drill stem 2 1s a double drill 'Stem formed by an outer p i e8 and an inner pipe 4. At its lower end t e outer-pipe 3. is ,ixed to a hollow core-cutting bit 5 lia-ving cutting members 6, and an innerycore openopen end 8 so disposed as to receive-the core formed by the hollow bit and the particles which become detached from the core or are released by the bit. A T 9 surrounds the vouter pipe 3 near its upper end, and compressed air from a pump 10 is introduced into the outer pipe 3 through the T and the small openings 11 formed in the wall of the outer plpe. The T is provided with packing 2 0 at its ends in order that the drill stem per end the outer pipe is closed b the swivel 12. The inner pipe extends t rough the swivel 12 and connects with the conduit 13, which discharges into suitable apparatus 14 for1 1collecting the samples obtained from the we The drill stem comprising both outer and inner pipes, is rotated by a rotary 15 of any usual construction, and compressed air from the pump 10 is forced throu 9 into the outer pipe, and travels own the outer pipe to the small openings 16 in the wall of the inner pipe above the bit. As the drill is rotated, water is supplied down the well on the outside of the drill stem from the pipe 17 or, if there be a suiiicient supply of water from the veins in the ground, such as are shown at 1 8, the supply of water may be omitted. As the drilling progresses, the core 19 formed by the hol, low bit, from time to time breaks off and, with the cuttings removed by the bit and any finely divided particles which become detached from the core, is elevated by the duced by the compressed air entering through the openings 16, and delivered into the collecting apparatus 14a It will be observed that the inner pipe 4 is unobstructed throughout its length. This is an advantage, because it is desirable to elevate the material in as large pieces as possible, `and any obstruction in the inner pipe would break up and disintegrate the large core pieces and thus make it more diiicult to determine fromA thesamples the ing?. The inner drill stem extends down to and rests on the bit l5, andfhas its lower may rotate independently of it. At its uph the T` upward iiow of water in the inner pipe inany ordinary construction, fromwhich the hollow drill stem connected therewith, andl character of the formation. Where the ,Water from the cavities and veins in the deposit is depended on, and where such water contains impurities which contaminate the samples, any error due to such contamination may be corrected by stopping the drill and elevating samples of water from the veins and cavities and determining the amount of impurities therein, so that the effect of the water on the samples may be determined.

My improved apparatus may be used for prospecting for minerals of various kinds.

' I have found it particularly useful in prospecting for deposits of sulfur which occurred in a stratum from 700 to 800 feet below the surface of the ground, full of cavities and crevices and permeated by impure water.

Having now described my invention, what I claim is:

1. In an apparatus of the kind described,

the combination with a bit, of a double drill stem connected therewith formed lof two concentric pipes, and means for forcing air down through the outer and into the inner pipe, the inner pipe having its open lower end disposed to receive the material re- 'moved by the bit, substantially as described.

2. In an apparatus of the kind described, the combination with a hollow core-cutting bit, of a double drill stem connected therewith formed of two concentric pipes, the inner pipe having its open lower end disposed to receive the core removed by the bit and having air passages formed in its wall above the bit, and means for forcing air down the outer pipe and through said passa es, for the purpose described.

3. pparatus of the kind described, comprising a bit with a hollow drill stem connected therewith, and an inner pipe having an unobstructed interior, and means for delivering air into the said inner pipe intermediate its ends, for the purpose described.

4. Apparatus of the kind described, comprislng a hollow core-cutting bit with a an inner pipe having an unobstructed interior, and means for delivering air into said inner pipe near its lower end above said bit, substantially as described.

5 In apparatus of the kind described, a double drill stem comprising concentric outer and inner pipes, with an air space between their walls, a. hollow core cutting bit fixed to said stem, a T mounted on said outer pipe near its upper end, so as to permit the rotation of the pipe with respect' to the T, means for rotating said stem, and means for forcing air into said T and through said air space and into said inner pipe substantially as described.

6. In apparatus of the kind described, a double drill stem, comprising concentric outer and inner pipes with an air space between their walls, a hollow core cutting bit fixed to said stem, a discharge conduit and a joint connecting said conduit with said inner pipe and arranged to permit relative rotation of the two, a T mounted on said outer pipe near its upper end, so as to permit the rotation of the pipe with respect to the T, means for rotating said stem, and means for forcing air into said T and through said air space and into said inner pipe substantially as described.

7. Apparatus of the kind described comprising a well casing, means for forcing water therein, a double drill stem located in said casing, and comprising concentric outer and inner pipes with an air space between their walls, a hollow core cutting bit iixed to said stem, va discharge conduit and a joint connecting said conduit with said inner pipe and arranged to permit relative rotation of the two, a T mounted on said outer pipe near its upper end, so as to permit the rotation of the pipe with respect to the T, means for rotating said stem, and means for forcing air into said T and through said air space and into said inner Vpipe substantially as described.

BENJAMIN ANDREWS.

Witnesses:

L. A. CoRLToN, GEO. C. Scorr. 

